You will learn
- Ask a question using who, what, where or when.
- Answer a question in a whole sentence.
- Listen to a question before answering.
- Say when they do not know the answer.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Question words start questions: who, what, where, when.
- A question needs an answer.
- Answer in a whole sentence.
- It is fine to say, “I do not know.”
Words to know
words we use to ask about something
what we say to reply to a question
asks about a person
asks about a place
1. Discover: Where is my cap?
Kofi cannot find his cap. He asks, “Where is my cap?” Ayo answers, “Your cap is on the chair.” Kofi says, “Thank you!”
Think: What was Kofi’s question? What was Ayo’s answer?
2. Understand: Questions and answers
Idea 1: Question words
Who asks about a person. What asks about a thing. Where asks about a place. When asks about a time.
Idea 2: Answer in a sentence
Question: “What is your name?” Answer with a whole sentence: “My name is Ama.”
Idea 3: When you do not know
If you do not know, say: “I do not know, but I can find out.” Do not guess wildly.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Who
Ask about your teacher.
- Use who.
- Put a question mark in your mind.
Answer: Who is our teacher?
Example 2 (We do it together): Where
Ask about a place.
- Use where.
- Say it clearly.
Answer: Where is the library?
Example 3 (You try): Answer
Question: “What do you like to eat?”
Show the steps and answer
- Think of your answer.
- Use a whole sentence.
Answer: I like to eat rice.
Did you know?
The question mark has been used in writing for more than a thousand years.
Why this matters
Asking questions helps you learn, and answering helps others know what you think.
4. Explore: Question and answer
Play a question and answer game with a partner.
- One child asks a who, what, where or when question.
- The other answers in a whole sentence.
- Swap roles.
- Count how many questions you asked.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You asked and answered with a whole sentence each time.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Who ___?
- What ___?
- Where ___?
- I do not know, but I can find out.
Guided practice
Question 1. Which word asks about a place?
Where.
Question 2. Answer: What is your name?
My name is ___.
Question 3. What do you say if you do not know?
I do not know, but I can find out.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Which word asks about a person?
- Which word asks about a place?
- Which word asks about a time?
- Which word asks about a thing?
- Answer: What is your name?
Level 2: Grow
- Ask about a pencil.
- Answer: Where do you live?
- Ask your friend about his favourite food.
Level 3: Stretch
- Ask three questions to learn about a friend.
- Why answer in a whole sentence?
- Ben says “water” when asked what he wants. Say a better answer.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
At the market, how do you ask where the rice is?
Show a sample answer
I say, “Excuse me, where is the rice?”
Another one. Ask a family member two questions.
Show a sample answer
What did you do today? Who did you see?
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Answer in a whole sentence.
Fix: Listen to the whole question first.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can ask with who, what, where and when.
- I can answer in a whole sentence.
- I can listen before I answer.
- I can say I do not know.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Question words: who, what, where, when.
- Answer in a whole sentence.
- Listen before you answer.
- It is fine to say you do not know.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Describing familiar objects. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Write one question word. [1 mark]
- Ask a question about a place. [2 marks]
- Answer: What is your name? [2 marks]
- What can you say if you do not know an answer? [1 mark]
- Explain why we answer in a whole sentence. [3 marks]
Total: 9 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- who, what, where or when [1]
- uses where [1]; makes sense as a question [1]
- My name is ___ [1]; whole sentence [1]
- I do not know, but I can find out [1]
- others understand [1]; gives a full idea [1]; practises speaking [1]
Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- ___ asks about a person.
- ___ asks about a place.
- ___ asks about a time.
- ___ asks about a thing.
- Answer: Where do you live?
- Ask your friend a question.
- A question ends with a ___ mark.
- True or false: guess wildly if you do not know.
- Answer: What do you like?
- Write a question with who.
Homework
Ask a family member three questions with who, what and where. Write one answer in a whole sentence.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ___ asks about a person. | Who | 1 |
| 2. ___ asks about a place. | Where | 1 |
| 3. ___ asks about a time. | When | 1 |
| 4. ___ asks about a thing. | What | 1 |
| 5. Answer: Where do you live? | I live in ___. | 1 |
| 6. Ask your friend a question. | any question | 1 |
| 7. A question ends with a ___ mark. | question | 1 |
| 8. True or false: guess wildly if you do not know. | false | 1 |
| 9. Answer: What do you like? | I like ___. | 1 |
| 10. Write a question with who. | Who is your teacher? | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 who; 2 where; 3 when; 4 what; 5 My name is ___.. Level 2: 1 What is this? or Where is my pencil?; 2 I live in ___.; 3 What is your favourite food?. Level 3: 1 for example: Who is your teacher? What do you like? Where do you live?; 2 so others understand the full answer; 3 I want some water, please..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Ask a question using who, what, where or when | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Answer a question in a whole sentence | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Listen to a question before answering | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say when they do not know the answer | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Answering with one word only. Answer in a whole sentence.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use picture cards and ask one question word at a time.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to ask and answer questions politely. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask your child who, what, where and when questions every day.
- Ask for answers in sentences.
- Welcome their questions.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: ask a question using who, what, where or when; answer a question in a whole sentence; listen to a question before answering; say when they do not know the answer.
Prerequisite knowledge. Speaking clearly; introducing oneself.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the Kofi and cap story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the question words with examples.
Guided activity (10 min). Play question and answer in pairs.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the practice and ask one question to the class.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What do you want to know? Which question word fits?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures and one question word at a time. Extension. Ask learners to interview a classmate.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Answering with one word only. Answer in a whole sentence.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use picture cards and ask one question word at a time. Enrichment. Play “20 questions” with simple who, what and where questions. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.1.2, SL.1.3 and L.1.1.j (asking and answering questions, producing and expanding complete sentences and using question words); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (speaking and listening). These sources informed the lesson.